Rounding up a year which saw crucial releases from Iron Curtis and Quarion, »Can’t Help It« is the long awaited return of sample wizards Session Victim to the ep format. This Retreat 3-tracker is a profound, subtle and quite melancholic affair, perfect for those emotional moments in the early morning. Skillfully arranged and featuring the impeccable playing of Linnart Ebel, »Can’t Help It« is once again an essential statement from one of House Music’s most fascinating duo.
 »Pass The Diesel« begins with a stuttering beat, seagull like noises and muted chords that wouldn’t be out of place on a vintage Group Home instrumental. Staying on the aquatic tip, Session Victim introduce a beautiful Rhodes sequence which takes the track into a dream-like – dare we say californian? – direction. Spiced up with gentle synth noodlings, ethereal vocal snippets and a magical strings motive, »Pass The Diesel« bathes in the deeper shades of House without ever drowning in a cliché, thanks to its snapping drums and vivid arrangement. 
Slowing things down a notch, »Hyuwee« starts off with what is maybe the most unconventional instrument in Session Victim’s repertoire, the banjo! But the fear of witnessing these down-to-earth-boys actually becoming the boys-down-south vanishes after 30 seconds: a melancholic 3-Chord theme, snappy 808 patterns and funky drum fills lead the tune in a familiar (but vast) territory. Linnart Ebel’s talent is put to great use with subtle guitar licks that give a lively feel to the whole song. You will notice that Session Victim have labeled »Hyuwee« as an »instrumental«. Does it mean that we can expect a vocal version in the near future? All bets are on as to who will provide the vocals to this one … 
Flip the record over for the magnificent »Tearwiper«, a slow-house groover which might be Session Victim’s deepest excursion on wax so far. Abyssal chords, radio effects and a dragging 105 bpm beat set the stage for a grand sonic adventure. The track breaks down after the introduction of the guitar theme and a warm sub bass takes center stage in order to drive »Tearwiper« in a confident manner. Shakers and bubbling synths are floating around whereas Linnart’s hypnotic playing provides a steady backing to the bassline. Another breakdown and the elements are nicely washed away while a thoughtful guitar solo brings this underwater journey to an end. 



RTR14 - A1 - Session Victim - Pass the diesel

RTR14 - A2 - Session Victim - Hyuwee (instrumental)

RTR14 - B1 - Session Victim - Tearwiper

Retreat celebrates its fifth birthday with a very special edition of the infamous »Treats« series! Volume 5 is the label’s first double vinyl in a carefully designed gatefold sleeve and features exclusive music from all the Retreat regulars as well as exciting new guests: Session Victim, Quarion, Iron Curtis, Mr Beatnick, Kim Brown, Jamie Lloyd and many more. »Treats Vol. 5« is a fantastic collection of tracks that stands on its own as a compilation while offering some of the most heartfelt House music for 2014 and beyond.

http://www.retreat-vinyl.de/39174/blog/rtr15-coming-up

RTR15 - A3 - Johannes Albert - Co Co Jam Boo

RTR15 - A1 - Jamie Lloyd - Spiro Hustle

Retreat celebrates its fifth birthday with a very special edition of the infamous »Treats« series! Volume 5 is the label’s first double vinyl in a carefully designed gatefold sleeve and features exclusive music from all the Retreat regulars as well as exciting new guests: Session Victim, Quarion, Iron Curtis, Mr Beatnick, Kim Brown, Jamie Lloyd and many more. »Treats Vol. 5« is a fantastic collection of tracks that stands on its own as a compilation while offering some of the most heartfelt House music for 2014 and beyond.

http://www.retreat-vinyl.de/39174/blog/rtr15-coming-up

RTR15 - B1 - Reverend G - Pam's Cleavage

RTR15 - B2 - Kim Brown - I Am Batman

RTR15 - C1 - Quarion - Enter Coordinates

RTR15 - C2 - Mr Beatnick - Hold On To Your Dreams

RTR15 - D1 - Iron Curtis - Love Commitment

RTR15 - D2 - Robert Oh - Blush

It was long overdue but we’re excited to finally present you the next episode of the Reels podcast series! Behind the wheels of steel this time is Sebastian Rebig, a true house music lover and proper vinyl junkie who owns more than 9000 records. Sebastian hails from Mönchengladbach (in the famous Ruhr region) and has been playing since 2000 in various locations around Germany. He has caught the ears of many passionate listeners, including Session Victim who have since then invited Sebastian to spin at some of their parties. Thanks to his record selection, deejaying skills and deep knowledge of music, Sebastian Rebig is the perfect example of a „DJ’s DJ“.

Reels 6 is vintage Rebig: a faultless collection of forgotten house classics from Mood II Swing or Black Science Orchestra blended with contemporary heaters from Fresh & Low or Moomin. A 68-minute mix which covers the whole spectrum of house music and which will have you dancing in the living room in no time!

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RTR Reels 06 – Sebastian Rebig “Timeless Transition”

Finally putting to rest a one-year break, Retreat is back in full swing in order to bring more heat this summer thanks to the "Busted Moniker EP" from Quarion! With four tracks that showcase a jazzier, somewhat wilder side of the Retreat co-founder, "Busted Moniker" has the stamp of a producer on top of his game, squeezing out all of the funk from his machines and letting loose without too much over-thinking. Can you handle it?
 
The ambient introduction "Lost Coordinates" represents a direct follow-up to Quarion's offering on the "Treats Vol.5" Compilation. Built around a circular four note theme, white noise percussion and a distant choir, "Lost Coordinates" evokes a ghost spaceship that is drifting through the void, his destination unknown and his point of origin long forgotten.

The bumpy house beat of "A Thousand Questions" teleports us back to a more familiar territory: this is proper club music with a sweet jazzy touch. Not holding back on his skills as a musician, Quarion treats us with a Rhodes bassline, deep piano chords and many drum fills. The tune moves along nicely and just when you think it couldn't get any better, Quarion surprises us with a break that introduces energetic Juno stabs and a booming new bassline. Slick!

"Burnin'" is maybe the EPs hottest track (all puns intended) and is sure to light fires on dancefloors all over. Beginning with a deep bassline atop a shuffled beat, the groove becomes irresistible as soon as the cheeky vocal samples arrive, but it's the entrance of an infectious and offbeat Rhodes loop that is sure to make the dancers go crazy. As the track gets stronger, the theme breaks down in descending chords and we're left with just the kick drum and a percussive noise. The loop soon emerges anew from the background now coupled with a phased cymbal for one more everlasting burn... Ouch!

"You Were The Only" is the EP's conclusion, a jazzy Broken Beat workout reminiscent of what came out of West London at the turn of the millennium. Starting with a catchy synth, the track truly opens up when the additional sub bass and skippy Juno chords come into play, but the real magic happens after a short break. The bassline evolves into an 8-bar sequence with beautiful chords to match and we're instantly taken on a jazz journey with sprinkling keys, ethereal strings and more Juno stabs. A perfect finish to a very juicy EP!

RTR16 - Quarion - B2 You Were The Only

RTR16 - Quarion - B1 Burnin’

RTR16 - Quarion - A2 A Thousand Questions

RTR16 - Quarion - A1 Lost Coordinates

After last month’s »Busted Moniker« EP from Quarion, Retreat is thrilled to announce a new 12" courtesy of house music’s most energetic duo, the incomparable Session Victim! The aptly titled »Two Man House Band EP« is the lads’ first record since their 2014 magnum Opus »See You When You Get There« and perfectly transcribes the energy that Session Victim pour into their incendiary live show. Tailormade for a night out in the club or a joyous day at the festival, the »Two Man House Band EP« once again prooves that Session Victim are unstoppable in their pursuit of the ultimate groove!

»Summer Games« is an ode to that most festive of seasons and could easily hold the claim of being Retreat’s »biggest« track so far. Built around an Hypnotic organ loop, »SummerGames« completely blurs the lines between house, funk and soul : rolling breakbeats, catchy vocal snippets and a very groovy bassline are the core elements of this anthem that could rock any party. Yet Session Victim add a slight twist in the form of a melancholic string motive that appears in two chiseled breakdowns. It’s a little reminder that summers do not last forever and that one should enjoy them while they last ...

Flip the record in order to dive into the deeper realms of »Black Cream«, a more reflective track for the late hours. With its jazzy (almost broken) beat, guitar licks, rhodes pads, subtle percussion and ethereal vocals, »Black Cream« is the soundtrack to an exciting underwater trip with Matthias and Hauke at the controls. Thanks to the captains’ lively drum programming, the track flows effortlessly and we’re treated with many surprises along the way before a gradual rise brings us back to the surface.

»Finderlohn« is a smokey downtempo workout which finds Session Victim digging deep in their collection to demonstrate their prowess in manipulating samples. Beginning with an instanly classic guitar and piano loop, »Finderlohn« allows a shuffly breakbeat to take center stage, sometimes reinforced with double-time hihats for a more dramatic effect. The tune is definitely a headnodder’s paradise and the listener is taken that little bit higher thanks to a mystical flute solo that concludes »Finderlohn« in a psychedelic way.

RTR17 - Session Victim - B2

RTR17 - Session Victim - B1

RTR17 - Session Victim - A1

Seven years and five volumes of »Treats« down the line, Retreat flips the script in 2016 and introduces a brand new remix series (cheekily) entitled »Re-Treats«! With Nebraska, Session Victim and Quarion reworking stables from the RTR back catalogue, »Re-Treats Vol.1« is a brilliant showcase of the art of the remix as each artist comes up with a truly personal take on the original material.

RTR18 starts in high fashion with digger extraordinaire Nebraska tackling the label’s most famous track so far, »Good Intentions« from Session Victim. It’s merely impossible to rework a bonafide modern classic but the english producer manages this task with ease and stays close to the original by breaking down the main loop into a one bar groove with super crisp beats. This would already suffice as the core for a powerful track but the real action begins after a short break: Nebraska brings the original four bar loop back at the forefront while adding a wicked samba twist to it! And as the kick comes back in, you can help but dance with your arms in the air and a big smile on your face. The »Soho Samba Mix« is an irresistible tune with that unmistakable »London« flair, not to mention a proper dancefloor anthem in its own right!

Turn the record over for Session Victim’s take on »A & F« from Iron Curtis & Leaves. It will only take a few bars for you to feel that you’re in  for a special ride with the one and only »Two Man House Band« at the commands. Matthias’ and Hauke’s version of »A & F« is much more a cover than a traditional remix as SVM add percussion, layers of juicy synths, loose drum fills and quirky samples over the original chords  and vocals. There are shades of Jazz, Soul, Reggae and even a bit of Pop in the »612 Remix« but the vibe is 100 % Session Victim. The lads  really excel in sun-drenched grooves and this remix is bound to become another staple in their dynamic live set for this summer’s festival season.

If the previous two reworks manage to somewhat stay close to the original material, then Quarion’s version of »Black Cream« takes an alternative route and propels Session Victim’s track into another dimension. Constructed around a tough beat and an hypnotic synth, the  »White Smoke Remix« is thrusted by a powerful bassline and flying hi-hats that evolve in rapid succession. Parts of the original (a vocal  here, a guitar there) are being fragmented to molecular level and clash with each other at light speed, as if Quarion managed to run these elements through the CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. It’s a dense, yet fluid remix and a thrilling conclusion to this first volume of »Re-Treats«.

A1 Session Victim - Good Intentios (Nebraska Soho Samba Mix)
B1 Iron Curtis & Leaves - A & F (Session Victim 612 Remix)
B2 Session Victim - Black Cream (Quarion’s White Smoke Remix)

Release date: April 16 2016

B2 - Session Victim - Black Cream (Quarion’s White Smoke Remix) - RTR18

B1 - Iron Curtis & Leaves - A & F (Session Victim 612 Remix) - RTR18

A1 -  Session Victim - Good Intentions (Nebraska Soho Samba Mix) - RTR18

When was the last time that you came across a Quarion record? It was probably back in 2010 with »Moons Around Jupiter« and since then the producer went largely missing. Feeling that he had reached an artistic dead end, Quarion decided to take a step back from the scene in order to experiment with new ways of making music. It took almost 3 years but needless to say, it was worth the wait: »Shifts In the Environment« is an essential collection of superb tracks which celebrate House music in its various declinations. Although it still sounds unmistakably Quarion, one can’t help but notice a certain toughness in this new material as well as the will to break rules, making this EP a fascinating listening experience and a sure-shot 12" for the dance floor!

If »Moons Around Jupiter« reached for the stars then »Digging For Water« is the homecoming on good old Earth. This dirty and groovy slice of House music begins as a vintage Quarion production with its funky beat, bubbling sub bass and strings. After a quick build-up, the track introduces a filtered chord sequence that grabs your attention straight away. The chords slowly unfold with subtle new harmonies until the break brings forth an exciting new bassline. But just when you thought that the tune is heading in an epic direction, it deceptively gets reduced to a pounding beat and a surprising Acid motif. The riff gets quickly infectious however, and while all the musical elements come back together piece by piece, the bassline carries »Digging For Water« to that epic moment you were promised earlier and all you can say is wooo!

Slowing things down a bit, »The Plump Shrew« is a straight-up Boogie jam. Bouncy drums lay the foundation for one of the nastiest bassline this side of Kreuzberg while a strange saloon piano drops in and out of the picture. An even weirder 5-note loop comes in as the track builds with more percussion to an exciting climax. You’re definitely hooked when fresh Juno stabs take center stage and make the tune just that little bit more juicy! A quirky synth melody moves a few times around the stereo spectrum and before you know it »The Plump Shrew« comes to an end. The fat mouse has got the cheese and is enjoying it very much, thank you!

The B-side is solely dedicated to »The Red Room«, an interdimensional portal which only appears to FBI agents with a craving for cherry pie. Or so it seems … Musically, it’s a tough, freaky and synth-heavy affair as Quarion pushes his studio to the limit and squeezes out every possible sound out of his analog gear. The track heads in multiple directions although a massive 2-note riff always keeps it grounded. A menacing drone creeps up from the background before being swept away by an hypnotizing synth riff and a hi-hat running wild. But as the sub bass kicks in, the drone gets more present and evolves into a daring motive, slowly consuming all the elements until a dramatic break-down where »The Red Room« seems to spin totally out of control. That is until the 2-note riff anchors you back to the floor and leads the track to its conclusion with a tight beat.

A1 - Digging For Water
A2 - The Plump Shrew
B1 - The Red Room

Release: June 19th 2013 (get it here: http://www.retreat-vinyl.de/buy/)

RTR13 - A1-  Quarion - Digging For Water

RTR13 - A2-  Quarion - The Plump Shrew

RTR13 - B1-  Quarion -The Red Room

In these days of high-speed internet, immediate access to music and everchanging hype phenomenoms, RETREAT invites you to take a deep breath, put a record on the turntable, turn up the volume and just enjoy 15 minutes of pure, undiluted and concrete GROOVES, for RETREAT is a vinyl-only label…

Founded by Quarion and Hauke Freer (one half of Session Victim), the label simply intents to release quality dancefloor music: its roots span from Jazz to Drum n’Bass, its sound carries a modern House esthetic and its vision embodies the concept of “Techno” (as a forward-thinking music genre). Like a REAL postcard from an old friend, free espressos after a fine italian meal or an extra surprise record in the package from your favourite discogs dealer, RETREAT aims to be this ‘lil something you didn’t expect that puts a smile on your face…and moves your ass!

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